Bigham, who was named Oregon's Teacher of the Year, and his partner were in Washington D.C., meeting the president of the United States to celebrate his honor. The two briefly thought of getting married in the nation's capital because of the gay marriage ban that still existed in their home state.

"We were so close, but we decided not to," said Bigham, 49. "We're Oregonians, and we should have a right to get married in our own home, in our own state."

He'll get his wish Monday afternoon. The couple planned to go to the Multnomah County building to get a marriage license, just hours after a judge struck down the ban.

Bigham, who went to high school in Canby, is the state's first openly gay teacher of the year, and one of three gay teachers named this year across the country. He currently teaches special education at the Multnomah Education Service District.

He and Turay became domestic partners four and a half years ago. But the status was not enough for the couple, who have been together for six years.

"It really is a 'second-class citizen' kind of thing," he said. "We pay taxes on our benefits that we don't have to once we're married."

The couple has also long worried about the rights Turay would have if Bigham ever went to the hospital in an emergency. Bigham had a heart attack two years ago, and Turay wants to make sure he would be able visit him in a hospital room.

In a state that wouldn't recognize their domestic partnership, for example, they could be separated at the hospital door, Bigham said.

"They wouldn't recognize him as family, so he would not be allowed to sit in the room with me," he said. "I don't want to put him through that."

Bigham also wants to use his position at teacher of the year to make statements on gay rights and preventing gay teen suicide.

He said he had a friend who killed himself when he was 15, which makes the statistics on teen suicide hit particularly close to home.

"I figured that being out as the teacher of the year might keep a kid or two from going in that direction," he said.

The two planned to go to the county office building about 3:30 p.m. Monday, as soon as school let out. Bigham's suit and a bright blue shirt hung on the back of his classroom chair during the school day Monday.

He said he partly wished they could have more time to plan a ceremony. But the couple decided they "just have to do it now," he said.

When the ruling came down around lunchtime, he got a text message from Turay.